1861.] 335 [Combinations. 



preceding or following vowels, is effected very easily ; for, as they are 

 all formed of sonorous breath, uo break occurs in passing from one 

 species of sound to another. 



The case is different in passing from a hard consonant to a vowel, 

 or vice versa. These are no longer homogeneous sounds ; for the for- 

 mer are pronounced with mute and the latter with sonorous breath. 

 When the hard consonants are initial, the mute breath employed in 

 their formation must all be ejected before the sonorous breath of the 

 vowels can be heard ; and, on this account, there is naturally a chasm 

 between the hard consonants and the following vowels. This chasm 

 is filled up by the breathing sound Ji; for the waste breath, ejected 

 after the explosion of the hard consonants, by striking against the 

 surface of the pharynx, on its passage from the glottis, and in 

 coming in contact with the outside air, assumes the form of this 

 sound. This causes the aspiration of the hard consonants which 

 is frequently noticed. In some languages, this aspiration is 

 stronger; in others weaker, according as the pressure of the air 

 from the lungs is more or less intense, or as the flowing out of 

 the mute breath is sooner or later checked in the glottis. The En- 

 glish aspirate their hard consonants strongly, the Germans weakly, 

 which is the reason that when the consonants 2^, f, and k are pro- 

 nounced by German organs, they sound more like b, d, and g to an 

 English ear. When the hard consonants are Jinal, i. e. when they 

 follow the vowels, their respective articulating stations can, indeed, 

 be closed immediately, and the vowel thus be cut short \ but the se- 

 cond operation of their articulation, viz., that of opening the sta- 

 tion, which, in a great measure, constitutes their acoustical effect, is 

 naturally heard separately from the vowels. When the hard conso- 

 nants are medial, that is, when they are pronounced betweeli two 

 vowels, as in rapid, meeting, pica, the aspirate is almost entirely 

 lost, and the hard consonants on this account are more intimately 

 connected with the vowels in this instance. 



Between the fluid consonants/, s, tli, and sli, which are also formed 

 of mute breath, and the following vowels, there is no chasm ; for in 

 their pronunciation the articulating stations are not suddenly burst 

 open, as is done in the formation of the hard consonants, but they 

 remain ajar, and thus all mute breath preceding the vowels, instead 

 of passing out in the form of the breathing sound li, as in the hard 

 consonants, is converted into these fluid consonants themselves. 

 When they are medial and final, and are thus preceded by vowels, 

 there is a tendency observed in them to become sonant, as in his, 

 reason, &c. This tendency will be discussed in the second part. 



